Many people are interested in getting into the business analysis but they feel that they do not have the necessary skills required to do the job.
But most people don’t start off their careers as business analysts.
Many business analysts start of their careers working as subject matter experts in the business domain i.e. Accountants, HR and Strategic Planning personnel and then they transitioned into a business analysis role.
So not having an IT background should not discourage you from going after your business analysis dream.
Regardless of your background, I think having a basic understanding of the business domain is the first step in making the transition into business analysis.
Many people might say that getting a business analysis certification is the most important step in starting your business analysis career, I think having a business analysis certificate and understanding the business domain are equally as important.
Business analysis is basically about understanding the pain points of the organization, identifying the cause of those problems and finding solutions to those problems.
But it would be rather difficult to understand the problems in an organization if you do not understand the business.
For example if you are trying to gather the requirements of a manufacturing company and if the stakeholders start talking about their inventory and supply chain issues and you have no idea what they are talking about, how would you know the right questions to ask ?
While the thought of understanding every business domain might seem daunting, fear not you are probably more knowledgeable than you know.
If you are a fresh graduate, straight out of college, I would advise you to get an entry level certification like the Entry certificate in Business Analysis (ECBA) from IIBA and use that certificate to get an entry level business analyst position in a company.
As a entry level business analyst, you would probably be mentored by a senior level business analyst and this mentor would guide and help you along the way.
This is very important because you would make many mistakes, I know I did, but that is also how you would learn and over time your knowledge, experience and confidence would grow.
But if you are changing careers, such as switching careers from finance to business analysis. You can build on your experience as a financial analyst and utilize this knowledge in your new business analysis career path.
You can also get the Certificate of Capability in Business Analysis (CCBA) certification from IIBA to help you grow as a business analyst and before long you would become a business analysis expert.